Time and Chance Happens to Us All
by OnTheTardis
Summary: Donna Noble has regained her memories after a brief period of living without them. The Doctor has continued to travel, but refuses to have anyone else as a companion. And the two of them have no idea what’s in store for them. Spoilers for season 4
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! Well here's the beginning to my new fic. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. **

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Donna's lingering gaze met up with the nighttime sky, her ginger locks falling over her back as she leaned onto the palms of her hands. A soft summer breeze swept up and over the hill she was currently sitting on and she found her eyes close momentarily as she inhaled the scent of her neighbor's garden floated on the wind.

Tilting her head back once more, she opened her eyes watching as the glittering lights above her displayed their ritual dance.

She couldn't believe that this would be the last time she would ever sit on this hill, she had decided that the best way for everyone was if she had gotten a place of her own. It was a nice little flat and not far from her mum's house, but it was far enough that she would not be able to come every night and sit up here with her gramps.

Of course, after his accident, he hadn't been up here as much as he wanted to be. With his leg being broken, his daughter saw to it that he rested easy and that climbing to the top of some ruddy hill was not what the doctor would have wanted.

But, Donna felt that she had to at least come out here once more, for old time's sake.

So, here she was, watching the sky. She didn't have any particular reason to come out here, and her mother had tried to persuade her to leave the matter alone, but Donna had managed to slip out of the house while her mother was preoccupied with Wilf.

She sniffed softly as the wafting aroma of roses swelled before passing her by. She would miss that smell. Her new apartment was nice, but the sights and sounds of this place would not surround her. Instead of rose gardens and lush green grasses, she had settled for a place in the city, enclosed in a vision of concrete.

Donna moved to relax on her knees and rested there for a moment, before shuffling over to the telescope that she had taken with her. Her jeans would be covered with grass stains, but she overlooked the trifle matter, at least until laundry day.

Placing her hand on the smooth, cool surface, Donna recalled when this telescope came into her life. It had been a Christmas present from her mother to her father.

It had been her father that first introduced her to the world of stars. Next to his family, it had been a true love of his life. She remembered sitting on his knee as he pointed out to her the various constellations and told her the stories of how the Gods and Goddesses of ancient world managed to get stuck in the night sky.

Now, her father was gone, and taking the reigns fittingly, her grandfather made sure to keep up the stories and the wonders of the universe for her whenever she wished to hear them.

Closing one eye she leaned forwards and peeked into the lens.

Venus, with her luminous blue hue glowing millions of miles away, her unreserved disposition winking at whoever would stop and stare.

'It's the only planet that's named after a woman.'

'Good for her.'

She smiled and the memory, it had been just before her life had changed once more, before she had to rethink her life, before she met the Doctor for the second time.

Sighing tiredly she lifted her eyes back up towards the sky, and for the briefest moment she had hoped to see a blue police box flying overhead.

She wondered if it had been better not trying to find him again, wondered if she had they would have been able to make it work, or would it have just ended in heartache like last time.

Donna tried again and again to convince herself that she had to find him, that it would be better once she was with him again. But, as elusive as the Doctor was, it seemed that he and his whereabouts were one in the same. Managing to stay far away from her as possible.

She had to admit there had been times, just before having her memories restored, that she thought she saw a flap of a brown coat flying around the corner, or his slim frame ducking behind a bin as she turned her head towards his direction.

It was a surprising turn of events that happened a month ago, waking up with a slight headache and for a moment forgetting that she no longer was living on Earth instead of being in the TARDIS. She knew immediately from the look on her mother's face when she asked where the Doctor was, that she wasn't going to burn up as the Time Lord had said. All that had troubled her was the fact that the Doctor was gone and she had to live a normal life.

Sighing, Donna stood slowly and began to fold up the telescope, her hair tumbling down over her eyes, missing the police box flittering past her in the midnight blue above.

Lifting the instrument, she started walking back down the hill, she had to make sure that she had everything ready for when she left in the morning.

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**Review if you got 'em! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's Chapter 2! I want to thank those who have reviewed already, keep up the good work! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, it rightfully belongs to the BBC. **

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The Doctor circled around the center column where the TARDIS pulsed and whirled with life. She had been extraordinary and on her best behavior as he sent a world back to its original time, and managed to divert a huge paradox.

_What universe would be without the planet Vexen?_ The Doctor had said to himself as he had dashed back into his ship a few hours earlier. His reply had been a short, _'Probably better off'_, but never-the-less back it went and all was once again right in the universe.

He had taken the rest of the day complimenting the TARDIS and stroking her here and there with long fluid caresses. Allowing his fingers to linger on the buttons and smiling when she hummed, it was almost like purring.

The Doctor remembered when Donna had caught him petting one of the railings, as if it was a lover. Her blue eyes widened and she slowly stepped out of the room with a quick, _"don't let me interrupt"_. He had shrugged it off, knowing that the TARDIS liked to be treated and took no offense to Donna's reaction.

Bringing himself out of his past, he sighed softly as he tucked the image of the brilliant red head back into her special place in his mind.

The TARDIS beeped.

"Yes, I can't believe it's been that long either." He told her as he rubbed the back of his neck, the tightened, sore muscles reminding him of the day he just had.

The Doctor decided to keep the over used cliché _'seems just like yesterday'_ to himself, even if it felt like it.

He had done so much since that day, enjoyed Christmas with Jackson more than he should have; found someone that matched him on an intellect basis (almost), fought against an intergalactic slavery corporation, and even managed to bring back Vexen to its rightful place in the universe. And he had done all of this without her.

Sometimes he would forget and into her room he would bound in, wanting to take her somewhere or show her something he knows that she will like. But, the silence greets him, the emptiness. And he has to regain his senses, sometimes even sitting on her bed, before he is composed enough to walk out of her room without breaking.

Of course, he had given up watching her from a distance. The thought came to him one day as he was doing his daily maintenance on the TARDIS, that he could just pop on down to Earth and check up on her. If he stayed a ways from her, she wouldn't know and nothing could go wrong.

He would stand there watching as she stepped into a shop or sat down at a café, his hands deep in his pockets and his eyes transfixed. She still looked beautiful, though the toil of the everyday seemed to be showing a bit on her face.

He had done this every now and again, and almost been caught by her twice. The first time he had only managed dart behind a building, and the other he hid behind a bin and a parked car.

The Doctor couldn't wrap his head around it, the last living Time Lord and he was hiding and ducking. It was the last incident that he called it quits; he would not go and watch her again. Besides, it hurt too much when he knew he had to leave.

So with a final smile and two heavy hearts, the Doctor turned away from her for the last time.

Now here he was, standing in an empty TARDIS, as it should be. He knew when he told the Lady Christina that there would be no more companions by his side and he thinks that's what hurts the most, the fact that he finally understands what it means by being the last. To wonder the universe alone.

The TARDIS hummed again bringing the Doctor from his mind once more, a steady beeping warning him.

"What is it?" He asked looking up again, but he gets no reply.

Calmly walking over to the controls he shifts the monitor so that it is in front of him and his hearts sink.

"I told you," He says tiredly, "We can't see her anymore."

Yet, he still glances at the screen and his eyes fix on Donna as she sits upon the hill. Her hair is in the way, and she takes no notice of him as he and the TARDIS pass on by. Her head filled with everything, but of him.

Hitting a button the screen goes blank and he shifts on the balls of his shoes, "I think I'm going to make a nice cup of tea and read tonight." He says, mostly to himself.

Pulling a lever he sets the ship into the Vortex, and silently leaves the room.

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**Reviews would be nice please. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who**

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Donna sighed tiredly; the day had been much more drudging than she thought it would be. She stood there staring at the endless stacks of boxes that covered most of the floor and some of the furniture her mother had given her.

She never could have imagined how much stuff she had collected throughout her life until it was placed before her.

"How did all of this come out of my room?" She pressed herself.

Her hands went to her hips as her eyes surveyed the flat, it wasn't big, but it was hers and that was what counted. She was finally on her own, and she felt miserable. It was an odd feeling that coursed through her and she couldn't help but wish that she had done this a lot sooner. Yet, if she had lived her own life years before she would never had met the Doctor.

Today she had the inkling that she was being watched again, but she could not find the tall alien in pinstripes.

She often wondered if he was still up there wondering the universe or if he had given up altogether. She could remember when she had the Time Lord consciousness inside her head, his own mind screaming with loneliness as one by one his friends left him. She wanted nothing more than to ease him and stay.

So here she was, standing in her apartment and wishing that the sound of the TARDIS would come floating to her ears, because if it did she would run, run as fast as she can to be with him again.

Now, the boxes beckoned to be unpacked, but it could wait, at the moment she felt the hunger grow and she went into the kitchen to find something to eat.

She had bought a few things for dinner, she was trying to save up for rent and the bills that were expected, although she had helped her mother with the utilities, her parent's home had been paid for, unlike her new flat. Donna sought out a new temping job that paid a little bit better than her others in the past, but it was going to take a lot of will power to spend the money on things that she needed instead of what she wanted.

Donna sat down on the chair her mum had given her and bit into the sandwich she had made, the first dinner made in her new place. The peanut butter and banana defiantly filled her up and she would sleep soundly tonight.

Setting the empty plate onto the floor, she reached over and picked up one of the smaller boxes, one that she made sure she wouldn't leave behind. Unfolding the collapsed flaps, Donna rifled through the contents until a smile graced her lips. Taking out the jewelry box, she opened the lid and took out the reason her memories were restored to her.

The plain wedding band lay on her palm, the Doctor had given it to her when they first met, the day he had changed her life. In the confusion of bringing back to her family after taking her memories of him from her, he had obviously forgotten about the ring.

"With this ring, I thee bio-damp"

"For better or for worse?"

She wished that she could find him, if not for the traveling then for telling him her feelings. They had been mates of course, but somehow during their time together she began to feel something more than mere friendship.

Unconditional love was something that had been with her ever since she was a kid; her head had been filled with stories that true love conquered all. As an adult she had no such luck finding it until Lance, which turned out to be a bust.

In the short time with the Doctor, she could see that he had suffered from a lost love as well, but the Time Lord's hearts had beat differently towards the woman named Rose.

Next to Lance, Donna could see that maybe true love did exist and she had to search harder for it. However, it eluded her after the incident at Christmas and it was only a matter of time until she found the Doctor once more.

He had certainly changed, but there was the sadness in his eyes still and Donna couldn't help herself, she could feel the closeness between them this time and instead of acting on it she held him away. And he did the same, which helped greatly, although they had shared long stares at each other and they held hands longer then they should of.

She wondered if maybe he had felt the same about her, but time was limited with them, and even when she felt the confidence to act, she was pulled from his side.

Looking at the bio-damper for a little while longer, she placed the ring back into its box and shut the lid. The knowledge that she would find him again clear in her head, after all it was only when she had not been looking for him did they find each other.

Stretching her arms over her head, Donna glanced at the clock on the wall, the unpacking could wait until later, and she did have to get up in the morning to go to work. She did have to admit that when she had started a job, she found it strangely difficult, she figured it was because of the lack of actually going to work when she was the Doctor seemed to have taking a toll on her. But, she found her stride easily and wished that she was back on the TARDIS.

Donna flicked on the light as she came into the bedroom, and smiled as she saw bed she didn't think she was as tired as she was, but the moment she slipped under the duvet she fell asleep and dreamed of the Doctor.

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